Colin Forbes - By Stealth

`It fits in with the picture I'm building up of what is happening.'

`And you wouldn't care to sketch in that picture?'

`Too early yet.' Tweed stood up. 'Thanks for the food, for all your co-operation. I'd better get back to the hotel now.'

`I'll get you an unmarked car to take you there. See you in the morning – at Blankenese. I wonder what they will haul up out of the depths of the Elbe?'

Tweed thanked the driver, stepped out of the car. About to climb the flight of steps into the hotel he paused. Walking towards him was Paula. He advanced on her.

`What the devil are you doing out on your own?'

`Don't I count?'

Newman emerged out of the shadows where he had stopped for a second to glance in a shop window. He grinned at Tweed's discomfiture.

`We are looking after her, as you see.'

`Thank heaven for that. Sorry, Paula. I was worried. It is cold – the temperature has dropped suddenly. Let's get into the warmth.'

They mounted the steps with Tweed in the middle. As they entered the lobby Tweed stood quite still, motioned with his hands for Paula and Newman to do the same. Straight ahead of them extended an arm of the lobby where the toilets were situated. Hanging from the walls of the extended arm were several tapestries.

An imposing figure, clad in a smoking jacket, expensive blue trousers, a white shirt, and a red bow-tie, stood examining the tapestries. Dr Wand. Alongside him stood Jules Starmberg. The two men turned, began walking towards the lobby. They saw Tweed and his companions at the same moment.

Dr Wand stopped, motionless, staring at Tweed. He was so still he might have been a statue. Gazing at them through his pince-nez, his expression froze – showed no trace of emotion whatsoever. Starmberger lacked his chief's iron self-control. Astonishment, disbelief, fury – his reaction was clearly written on his brutish face.

Wand was the first to recover. Smiling his twisted smile, he came forward, his eyes gleaming.

`My dear Tweed, what an amazing coincidence. Of all the cities in Europe, this wonderful continent of such infinite variety, how extraordinary that we-'

`Good-night,' Tweed said, and led the way to the Haerlin restaurant.

Dr Hyde slowly climbed the hill behind the hafen – the harbour on the River Elbe in Hamburg. He had just enjoyed the company of an obliging lady he had met on the waterfront. Her fee had seemed rather exorbitant compared with Liege, but then he reminded himself that the quality of her entertainment had been rather higher.

He moved slowly because the fog made everything seem different. The last thing he wanted to do was to lose his way to the modest gasthof which he had made his temporary home. He sighed with relief as he saw the blurred neon sign indicating vacancies.

His attempt to use the key his landlady had lent him and enter unseen was a fiasco. As he crept towards the stairs she opened the door of her living-room. A scrawny woman with greedy eyes, her expression was one of unpleasant amusement as she greeted him in German.

Not a night to linger on the waterfront. You must have had a long walk. You've been out over two hours.'

`And what concern is that of yours?' he snapped in his pidgin German.

`I thought perhaps you had found some company. There is a good selection of that on the waterfront.'

`Shut your trap, you old-'

His face had twisted into a glare of sheer malevolence – a mistake he tried to correct immediately. He gave her his best bedside manner smile, thankful he had stopped himself from calling her a hag. That would have drawn a lot of attention to himself permanently.

`Please do excuse me, Frau, but I drank a little wine and it has upset my stomach. I hope you will accept my deep apologies…'

She pursed her lips, shrugged her thin shoulders, slammed the door shut in his face. Perturbed, he climbed the stairs, unlocked the door of his sparsely furnished room, heard the phone ringing, hurried to pick up the receiver.

Dr Wand sat at the desk in his room at the Four Seasons, drumming his thick fingers on its surface. Starmberg was waiting anxiously for his reaction. It came fast enough.

`What I would like to know, my dear Jules, is how in the name of Heaven could Tweed have survived?'

`The Cadillac team reported over my car radio that the main consignment was aboard. That must have meant Tweed. I don't understand what went wrong.'

`Miss Paula Grey must enjoy our company,' Wand decided. 'You said you had a plan?'

`It is foolproof,' Starmberg assured him.

`Then will you be so good as to reactivate this marvellous plan? And I must phone Dr Hyde. This time we will wait only three days after Miss Grey has sampled our hospitality. Three days for Tweed to eat his soul out. Then we will send him a piece of Miss Grey to remind him he must remain in retirement.'

Wand checked the number of the gasthof Dr Hyde had phoned to him while Wand was still at his Waterloo villa. Dialling the number, he bit his thin lips as the ringing went on and on. Was the corrupt swine out spending his money on worthless women again?

`Who is calling?'

Dr Hyde's distinctive grovelling voice. He sounded short of breath.

`You know who is speaking,' Wand began. 'A patient will be needing urgent treatment. So kindly listen carefully. Your case is packed? Excellent. Leave at once for the railway station. Catch the first possible train to Flensburg on the German-Danish border. As soon as you arrive a car will be waiting outside to take you across the frontier into Jutland – Denmark. The driver will identify himself as Johnny from Tinglev. I will spell that name.. Repeat it, please. Good…'

`Could I not catch another train to Tinglev-'

`My dear sir' – Wand's tone was pure acid – 'when I make a suggestion I have a reason for doing so. At that hour it is most unlikely there will be a connection. If, by chance, when you arrive at Flensburg station Johnny is not there, you wait for him. When he picks you up he will drive you to your ultimate destination. I will arrange for a nurse to be in attendance…'

`The patient-' Dr Hyde began.

`I would much appreciate it if you would refrain from interrupting me. I was about to tell you the patient needing treatment is a female. Now, ask the woman who runs that place to phone for a taxi. Immediately, I suggest.'

Dr Wand broke the connection. His face was flushed with annoyance. He gave the order to Starmberg.

`You heard what I said. Phone Clausen after checking the train arrival time at Flensburg. And the sooner you put into operation your plan to obtain the company of Miss Grey the better. You know where she is to be transported to, after hearing the name Tinglev.'

`For operational reasons the Miss Grey abduction will have to be carried out tomorrow evening.'

`That is your responsibility.' Wand's face expressed disapproval. 'I do wish you would not use such crude terms as abduction. She will be our guest.'

Tweed had just ordered from the menu in the Haerlin restaurant when he stiffened. 'Damn!' he muttered under his breath.

`Something wrong?' Newman enquired.

`Yes – with me. I've forgotten a vital task for Kuhlmann. Is that public phone box far away?'

`Only a few minutes' walk. I'll come with you.'

`Don't leave the restaurant,' Tweed warned Paula. `We'll be back before the food arrives…'

Collecting their coats, which had been taken from them by the head waiter, they dashed into the bitterly cold night. Newman waited outside while Tweed called Berliner Tor, asked for Kuhlmann, who came on the line swiftly.

`One important request I forgot to make, Otto. There may well be a Dr Hyde, an evil man, in Hamburg. Can you send a courier to the Haerlin restaurant? I will give him a large number of duplicate photos of this creature. And I suspect he may frequent prostitutes.'